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1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1.152306570Could 3D Printed Homes be the Solution to Housing Affordability?https://liveablecities.org.au/3d-printed-homes-housing-affordability/
https://liveablecities.org.au/3d-printed-homes-housing-affordability/#respondThu, 07 Mar 2019 00:30:45 +0000https://liveablecities.org.au/?p=48563D printing technology has revolutionised the manufacturing of many products in recent times. Where it once was used for prototyping and conceptual work only, it’s now developed to a point where finished products can be printed; even bulky items can be printed with the right equipment. It’s now even possible to create 3D printed homes, […]

]]>3D printing technology has revolutionised the manufacturing of many products in recent times.

Where it once was used for prototyping and conceptual work only, it’s now developed to a point where finished products can be printed; even bulky items can be printed with the right equipment. It’s now even possible to create 3D printed homes, something nobody would have thought possible a few decades ago.

Materials, size, and scope of work are becoming less of an obstacle as the technology advances. Harnessing the revolutionary power of 3D printing, companies have shown that not only can a home be printed; it can be done easily and cost-effectively.

3D-Printed Homes

Along with the affordability, there are many benefits to this technology since printers are capable of producing a range of shapes and and combine material that traditional building methods could not achieve. Fibers, sand, and concrete, can be the “ink”. Printed homes promise to be more durable, and a more sustainable due to the efficient and accurate building process.

The partnership between Sunconomy, LLC, an Austin, TX-based residential building company, and Forge New, a residential development company from San Francisco, have introduced We Print Houses, an industry-changing 3D printed home technology system, which can be licensed, by contractors and builders across the country. They plan to build one of the first 3D-printed houses in Central Texas this year. This home technology system incorporates a mobile platform and all the necessary mechanical systems to construct a 3D printed home.

The training program for getting a license is two weeks and will take place on the construction location of Genesis, i.e. the first house in the U.S. to be constructed with this 3D technology. They plan to build Genesis on a sloped lot with dimensions 100×120 feet to demonstrate the flexibility of the 3D designs. The construction works is planned to start this month.

These homes will be more disaster resistant, time efficient, and waste reducing than traditionally built homes. Their construction will minimise the number of construction workers needed therefore keeping costs down. It’s also set to shake up the building inspection industry since the build process is less prone to human error.

3D printed homes could be a viable solution to housing affordability. In fact, housing nonprofit New Story, based in San Francisco, and tech startup Icon, based in Austin, plan to use 3D printing to shelter the most vulnerable. New Story has built more than 850 houses internationally in 3 years, but its founders desired a faster process. Icon designed the mobile printer the Vulcan that can be taken to developing nations. At full capacity, Vulcan could complete a 24-hour print of a 600- to 800-square-foot home, at a price of $4,000. This year, New Story will take the printer to El Salvador to create many houses with the aim to reduce global homelessness.

Perth based company, Mirreco has also revealed plans to commence 3D-printed hemp homes. They believe the technology could significantly change the way we think about building in the future. They have already developed carbon-neutral hemp panels to support their vision for end global warming.

Benefits of the 3D-Printed Homes

The 3D-printed homes are designed to conform to the International Building Code. Some of the many benefits of 3D-printed homes are:

Faster process

With the 3D printing, you don’t need to worry about using materials that take a long time to settle and dry. While a traditional house will take between six and seven months to build, the whole process of constructing a 3D house will take only a few weeks.

Durability

3D printing homes have progressed to the point of designing concrete-based houses that can withstand hurricanes. The 3D printing technology guarantees fewer stress points in the structure, which, in turn, means a stronger building.

Reduced costs

3D printing uses a minimal amount of materials and labour. For instance, a 650 square foot-home is expected to drop to $4,000 as the technology develops.

Flexibility

When it comes to utility and design, designers of 3D-printed homes can experiment with many options and offer homeowners a house fitted to their style and needs. And with this technology, 3D printed homes can be easily customised for complex sites.

Reduced waste

This technology uses more sustainable construction materials that are constantly developed and advanced. For instance, some 3D homes can be built with bio-plastics made from vegetable oil!

WANT TO SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE IN CREATING HEALTHY CITIES?

Applications to present at the 2019 Liveable Cities Conference are now available! Share your research, projects and experiences in creating healthier spaces to live, work and play.

]]>https://liveablecities.org.au/3d-printed-homes-housing-affordability/feed/04856Present at the 2019 Liveable Cities Conferencehttps://liveablecities.org.au/present-at-the-2019-liveable-cities-conference-2/
https://liveablecities.org.au/present-at-the-2019-liveable-cities-conference-2/#respondTue, 20 Nov 2018 00:00:38 +0000https://liveablecities.org.au/?p=4800The 12th Liveable Cities Conference will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide SA over 12 – 13 August 2019. For 2019 the conference theme will be 2020 and Beyond –Leadership in healthy and connected global communities and regions and will be exploring the progress and implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, leadership from […]

]]>The 12th Liveable Cities Conference will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide SA over 12 – 13 August 2019.

For 2019 the conference theme will be 2020 and Beyond –Leadership in healthy and connected global communities and regions and will be exploring the progress and implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, leadership from all sectors that contribute to vibrant, inclusive and well appointed cities and towns.

This annual conference will provide a two day educational program to facilitate presentations and conversations on the liveability indicators, managing and guiding change, happiness, health and wellbeing, strategies for the plan and design of people within regional and urban communities and the benefits of effective leadership.

Participation from liveability practitioners, academics, government, councils, corporates, health and wellbeing professionals towards a shared appreciation and learning of the successes and challenges of creating and maintaining healthy and connected communities.

An evolution and journey – Leadership Indicators for measuring the transition

All proposals will be reviewed by the Conference Program Committee. Presentations will be selected to provide a program that offers a comprehensive and diverse treatment of issues related to the Conference theme. Authors will be notified by e-mail of the outcome of their abstract.

We are looking forward to another successful year in 2019 and hope to see you there, for more information on the 2019 Liveable Cities Conference, registration and to submit your presentation for consideration to present at the conference please visit liveablecities.org.au

]]>https://liveablecities.org.au/present-at-the-2019-liveable-cities-conference-2/feed/04800Climate change will make QLD’s ecosystems unrecognisable – it’s up to us if we want to stop thathttps://liveablecities.org.au/climate-change-will-make-qlds-ecosystems-unrecognisable-its-up-to-us-if-we-want-to-stop-that/
https://liveablecities.org.au/climate-change-will-make-qlds-ecosystems-unrecognisable-its-up-to-us-if-we-want-to-stop-that/#respondMon, 12 Nov 2018 01:02:58 +0000https://liveablecities.org.au/?p=4796Climate change and those whose job it is to talk about current and future climate impacts are often classed as the “harbingers of doom”. For the world’s biodiversity, the predictions are grim – loss of species, loss of pollination, dying coral reefs. The reality is that without human intervention, ecosystems will reshape themselves in response to climate […]

]]>Climate change and those whose job it is to talk about current and future climate impacts are often classed as the “harbingers of doom”. For the world’s biodiversity, the predictions are grim – loss of species, loss of pollination, dying coral reefs.

The reality is that without human intervention, ecosystems will reshape themselves in response to climate change, what we can think of as “autonomous adaptation”. For us humans – we need to decide if we need or want to change that course.

For those who look after natural systems, our job description has changed. Until now we have scrambled to protect or restore what we could fairly confidently consider to be “natural”. Under climate change knowing what that should look like is hard to decide.

If the Great Barrier Reef still has a few pretty fish and coral in the future, and only scientists know they are different species to the past, does that matter? It’s an extreme example, but it is a good analogy for the types of decisions we might need to make.

In Queensland, the government has just launched the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Climate Adaptation Plan for Queensland focused on what is considered important for making these decisions. The plan is high level, but is an important first step toward preparing the sector for the future.

Changing ecosystems

For the rest of Queensland’s ecosystems the story is much the same as the Great Barrier Reef. There are the obvious regions at risk. Our coastal floodplains and wetlands are potentially under threat from both sides, with housing and development making a landward march and the sea pushing in from the other side. These ecosystems literally have nowhere to go in the crush.

It’s a similar story for species and ecosystems that specialise on cool, high altitude mountaintops. These small, isolated populations rely on cool conditions. As the temperature warms, if they can’t change their behaviour (for instance, by taking refuge in cool spots or crevices during hot times), then it is unlikely they will survive without human intervention such as translocation.

We are all too familiar with the risk of coral reefs dying and becoming a habitat for algae, but some of our less high profile ecosystems face similar transformations. Our tropical savannah woodlands cover much of the top third of Queensland. An iconic ecosystem of the north, massive weed invasions and highly altered fire regimes might threaten to make them unrecognisable.

The Great Barrier Reef is already seeing major climate impacts, particularly bleaching. Shutterstock

So where to from here?

From the grim predictions we must rally to find a way forward. Critically for those who must manage our natural areas it’s about thinking about what we want to get out of our efforts.

Conservation property owners, both public (for instance, national parks) and private (for instance, not-for-profit conservation groups), must decide what their resources can achieve. Throwing money at a species we cannot save under climate change may be better replaced by focusing on making sure we have species diversity or water quality. It’s a hard reality to swallow, but pragmatism is part of the climate change equation.

We led the development of the Queensland plan, and were encouraged to discover a sector that had a great deal of knowledge, experience and willingness. The challenge for the Queensland government is to usefully channel that energy into tackling the problem.

]]>https://liveablecities.org.au/climate-change-will-make-qlds-ecosystems-unrecognisable-its-up-to-us-if-we-want-to-stop-that/feed/04796Present at the 2019 Liveable Cities Conferencehttps://liveablecities.org.au/present-at-the-2019-liveable-cities-conference/
https://liveablecities.org.au/present-at-the-2019-liveable-cities-conference/#respondMon, 05 Nov 2018 00:00:22 +0000https://liveablecities.org.au/?p=4693The 12th Liveable Cities Conference will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide SA over 12 – 13 August 2019. For 2019 the conference theme will be 2020 and Beyond –Leadership in healthy and connected global communities and regions and will be exploring the progress and implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, leadership from […]

]]>The 12th Liveable Cities Conference will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide SA over 12 – 13 August 2019.

For 2019 the conference theme will be 2020 and Beyond –Leadership in healthy and connected global communities and regions and will be exploring the progress and implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, leadership from all sectors that contribute to vibrant, inclusive and well appointed cities and towns.

This annual conference will provide a two day educational program to facilitate presentations and conversations on the liveability indicators, managing and guiding change, happiness, health and wellbeing, strategies for the plan and design of people within regional and urban communities and the benefits of effective leadership.

Participation from liveability practitioners, academics, government, councils, corporates, health and wellbeing professionals towards a shared appreciation and learning of the successes and challenges of creating and maintaining healthy and connected communities.

An evolution and journey – Leadership Indicators for measuring the transition

All proposals will be reviewed by the Conference Program Committee. Presentations will be selected to provide a program that offers a comprehensive and diverse treatment of issues related to the Conference theme. Authors will be notified by e-mail of the outcome of their abstract.

We are looking forward to another successful year in 2019 and hope to see you there, for more information on the 2019 Liveable Cities Conference, registration and to submit your presentation for consideration to present at the conference please visit liveablecities.org.au

]]>https://liveablecities.org.au/present-at-the-2019-liveable-cities-conference/feed/04693Just Launched – 2019 Liveable Cities Conference!https://liveablecities.org.au/just-launched-2019-liveable-cities-conference/
https://liveablecities.org.au/just-launched-2019-liveable-cities-conference/#respondWed, 24 Oct 2018 00:00:24 +0000https://liveablecities.org.au/?p=4694The 12th Liveable Cities Conference will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide SA over 12 – 13 August 2019. For 2019 the conference theme will be 2020 and Beyond –Leadership in healthy and connected global communities and regions and will be exploring the progress and implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, leadership from […]

]]>The 12th Liveable Cities Conference will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide SA over 12 – 13 August 2019.

For 2019 the conference theme will be 2020 and Beyond –Leadership in healthy and connected global communities and regions and will be exploring the progress and implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, leadership from all sectors that contribute to vibrant, inclusive and well appointed cities and towns.

This annual conference will provide a two day educational program to facilitate presentations and conversations on the liveability indicators, managing and guiding change, happiness, health and wellbeing, strategies for the plan and design of people within regional and urban communities and the benefits of effective leadership.

Participation from liveability practitioners, academics, government, councils, corporates, health and wellbeing professionals towards a shared appreciation and learning of the successes and challenges of creating and maintaining healthy and connected communities.

An evolution and journey – Leadership Indicators for measuring the transition

All proposals will be reviewed by the Conference Program Committee. Presentations will be selected to provide a program that offers a comprehensive and diverse treatment of issues related to the Conference theme. Authors will be notified by e-mail of the outcome of their abstract.

We are looking forward to another successful year in 2019 and hope to see you there, for more information on the 2019 Liveable Cities Conference, registration and to submit your presentation for consideration to present at the conference please visit liveablecities.org.au

]]>https://liveablecities.org.au/just-launched-2019-liveable-cities-conference/feed/04694Is it time to move beyond the limits of ‘built environment’ thinking?https://liveablecities.org.au/is-it-time-to-move-beyond-the-limits-of-built-environment-thinking/
https://liveablecities.org.au/is-it-time-to-move-beyond-the-limits-of-built-environment-thinking/#respondTue, 16 Oct 2018 00:00:03 +0000https://liveablecities.org.au/?p=3585The constructed world around us provides the stage for our daily life. The term “built environment” is in the past tense, describing a scenario after the fact. What does it actually mean beyond the obvious connotation of buildings and parks? Yet when we pay respect at a formal occasion to the traditional peoples of Australia […]

]]>The constructed world around us provides the stage for our daily life. The term “built environment” is in the past tense, describing a scenario after the fact. What does it actually mean beyond the obvious connotation of buildings and parks?

Yet when we pay respect at a formal occasion to the traditional peoples of Australia it is generally referred to as Acknowledgement of Country. Here we acknowledge the environment (country) first and then the custodians of it.

Today we are at pains to integrate environmental concerns into our building efforts. We are discussing how to meet climate targets, reduce heat island effects and limit the impacts of the built environs, which have harmed our planet. The term built environment seem to come from a time when we felt the need to dominate nature; now we are desperately trying to work with it.

Viewed from a different perspective, the built environment is a constructed historical record of how societies developed and applied their technical skills to express the culture of their time. It is all the infrastructure, power grids, water pipelines, dams, refineries, cargo terminals and industrial manufacturing sites that enable our urban existence.

The term also speaks about the expertise of the various trades and the craftsmen involved. But not so much about the professions that negotiate the abstract world of policies, council guidelines, building codes and the laws – not only of physics but also of the legal framework of contracts and workers’ rights. Together it creates visible structures that allow for comfortable living, business activities and transport networks.

Looking beyond buildings

The term built environment in an academic setting describes a suite of disciplines engaged in studying and therefore aiming to improve it. The late architect Col James “made housing a verb”. He did so not only to reflect the human agency involved in the processes but to provide a more equitable and just living environment for people who don’t have the means to get their own architect to design a dream home for a cool US$2 billion.

The built environment looks like the material world conceived by planners, designed by architects and constructed by builders and labourers. Yet, if we look closer, we can see that these structures are only one part of the equation. These build things (buildings) on their own can not simply be populated by people. People would have nothing to do in these buildings were it not be for the fixtures, fittings, furnishings and products within them.

These elements enable and activate these environments and make them usable and productive for their intended purposes. If the products within them fail they can make buildings harmful.

These products are not so much built in the traditional sense, but are mass-produced high-volume items. From window frames to light switches, phones and furniture, these are products conceived, designed and specified by professionals like industrial designers. They form an integral part of the built environment.

Even buildings themselves are not built in the traditional sense anymore, but are more and more the result of complex manufacturing processes. Project managers and builders are orchestrating a vast range of pre-manufactured items, which they assemble skilfully into an environment fit for human use.

If we are at a hospital, train station or playground, these environments are populated with equipment that speaks explicitly to the use of the space. In hospitals we see kidney analysis machines, hospital beds and infusion stands. The station has signage, trains and turnstiles. And at the playground the equipment lets us play and have fun.

Without these things these places wouldn’t be what they are. They could not perform the function that is their reason for being. Therefore it is the things in these environments that give them their meaning and function, because they enable it.

Our environment is and always has been integrated with products that help us with access to the services and infrastructure available at the time.

If we look closely at these two words they tell a hidden story. We have built, which is made, created and manufactured, and environment, which can be either human-made or natural. The term links the made world with our natural world. It describes the world we made so far. But the two are separated.

The interesting thing is that the made world, the one we created, is mentioned first. The setting it creates or into which the buildings are placed comes second. There is a hierarchy here that relegates the environment to second place.

]]>https://liveablecities.org.au/is-it-time-to-move-beyond-the-limits-of-built-environment-thinking/feed/03585When falling home ownership and ageing baby boomers collidehttps://liveablecities.org.au/when-falling-home-ownership-and-ageing-baby-boomers-collide/
https://liveablecities.org.au/when-falling-home-ownership-and-ageing-baby-boomers-collide/#respondTue, 02 Oct 2018 00:00:32 +0000https://liveablecities.org.au/?p=3581Until now, the majority of older people in Australia have achieved the goal of owning their own home outright. Hence, policymakers have typically shown little concern about the size and budget costs of rental housing assistance programs for seniors. However, two major societal shifts are set to propel such programs into the spotlight as a prominent government […]

]]>Until now, the majority of older people in Australia have achieved the goal of owning their own home outright. Hence, policymakers have typically shown little concern about the size and budget costs of rental housing assistance programs for seniors. However, two major societal shifts are set to propel such programs into the spotlight as a prominent government subsidy for older Australians.

The first trend is population ageing. We anticipate that baby boomers will place growing pressure on housing assistance programs as they age.

This is simply because of their larger numbers compared to earlier generations. Applying ABS population projections to data from the 2011 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, we project the population of Australians aged 55 years and over will increase from 5.1 million to 7.9 million between 2011 and 2031 – a 55% increase.

A second shift – falling rates of home ownership – could further increase the demands on the housing system. The HILDA Survey reveals rates of home ownership have fallen from 72% in 2001 to 66% in 2016.

This decline is in part due to younger Australians finding it more difficult to become owner-occupiers. It is also due to growing numbers of Australians dropping out of home ownership.

Estimates from the ABS Surveys of Income and Housing show that from 1982 to 2013 the home ownership rate fell 7.3 percentage points among the 45-54 age group. It fell by 5.1 percentage points for the 55-64 age group.

These trends are likely to continue.

A growing divide among older Australians

To analyse the implications of these shifts, we forecast the changing profile of Australians aged 55 and over by housing tenure. We apply demographic projections to the 2011 HILDA Survey and describe tenure profiles based on hypothetical declines of 5 and 15 percentage points in home ownership rates by 2031, as well as a stagnant stock of public housing.

Our findings point to a growing divide among older Australians. For older Australians, home ownership will increasingly become the preserve of higher-income married couples (see table 1). Older people on lower incomes – especially women and those affected by marital breakdown or bereavement – will rent.

The divide is especially stark if the home ownership rate falls by 15 percentage points. In this scenario, 27.4% of people aged 55 and over will be private renters by 2031.

Budget impacts of housing assistance

Older Australians’ demand for housing assistance could spike as a result of population ageing and falling home ownership rates.

Even demographic change on its own would lift real government spending on housing assistance for Australians aged 55 and over by 64% by 2031 (see table 2).

If home ownership rates also decline by 5 percentage points, then real government spending is projected to blow out to three times its 2011 level.

A steep fall in the home ownership rate of 15 percentage points would send real government spending on housing assistance soaring to around six times the 2011 level. That would increase real spending on housing assistance for older Australians from a tiny 0.043% of real GDP in 2011 to 0.16% of forecast real GDP in 2031.

The implications of demographic change coupled with falling home ownership rates are obvious for the housing sector:

the private rental tenure is set to expand

demand for housing assistance will grow

spending on housing assistance programs will increase the strain on government budgets.

]]>https://liveablecities.org.au/when-falling-home-ownership-and-ageing-baby-boomers-collide/feed/03581Australia set to run on 100% renewable energy within 15 yearshttps://liveablecities.org.au/australia-set-to-run-on-100-renewable-energy-within-15-years/
https://liveablecities.org.au/australia-set-to-run-on-100-renewable-energy-within-15-years/#respondMon, 24 Sep 2018 01:24:33 +0000https://liveablecities.org.au/?p=3577Australia is set to reach its target of 100% renewable energy by the early 2030’s, provided current uptake of renewable energy options in the residential and commercial sectors remains strong. The Australian renewables energy industry will install more than 10 gigawatts of new solar and wind power before the end of 2019 and if that […]

]]>Australia is set to reach its target of 100% renewable energy by the early 2030’s, provided current uptake of renewable energy options in the residential and commercial sectors remains strong.

The Australian renewables energy industry will install more than 10 gigawatts of new solar and wind power before the end of 2019 and if that rate is maintained, Australia would reach 50% of its renewables target in 2025.

The reduction target, set under the famed Paris Agreement into global climate change, forms part of a commitment made by Australia in 2015 to cut carbon emissions nationwide by up to 28% of 2005 levels by the year 2030.

It represents reductions of around 52% in emissions per capita and around 65% in the emissions intensity of the economy between 2005 and 2030.

Homeowners and industry have embraced the renewables challenge so well that it now seems possible the nation will reach the equivalent of 100% renewables for its electricity supply well before then.

A report by the Energy Exchange Institute at Australian National University, says merely keeping up the current rate of renewable energy deployment – roughly divided between solar photovoltaics (PVs), wind farms and rooftop solar PVs – would meet the country’s entire emissions reduction task for the whole economy by 2025.

That doesn’t take into account recent announcements at State level to make solar a more attractive option to consumers.

Australia is on track to reach its Paris Agreement renewable energy target by 2025

Federal initiatives

In 2015, the Senate passed a Renewable Energy Target (RET) which aims to have more than 23.5% of Australia’s electricity derived from renewable sources by 2020.

The scheme is split into two areas – large-scale for the establishment and expansion of renewable energy power stations with a target of 33,000 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity generation by 2020; and small-scale which includes financial incentives for households, small businesses and community groups to install systems such as solar hot water heaters, heat pumps and solar PV systems.

The RET is supported by the Australian Renewables Energy Agency, established in 2012 to promote and fund researchers, developers and businesses which demonstrate the feasibility and potential commercialisation of their renewables energy technologies and projects.

According to some reports, “surging numbers” of commercial and industrial projects are applying for accreditation under the RET.

By contrast, the Turnbull government’s National Energy Guarantee struggled to find favour with the states and the coalition from the moment it was proposed last year.

Under the proposal, power retailers would have been required to meet minimum reliability and pollution standards as part of efforts to cut Australia’s carbon emissions.

But WA and the Northern Territory – neither of which are connected to the national electricity market – rejected the National Energy Guarantee, and opposition snowballed from all corners until the idea was unceremoniously dumped last month, in much the same way that Turnbull was a short time later.

]]>https://liveablecities.org.au/australia-set-to-run-on-100-renewable-energy-within-15-years/feed/03577Rising cyclist death toll is mainly due to drivers, so change the road laws and culturehttps://liveablecities.org.au/rising-cyclist-death-toll-is-mainly-due-to-drivers-so-change-the-road-laws-and-culture/
https://liveablecities.org.au/rising-cyclist-death-toll-is-mainly-due-to-drivers-so-change-the-road-laws-and-culture/#respondTue, 18 Sep 2018 00:00:02 +0000https://liveablecities.org.au/?p=3575Recent reporting paints a picture of surging road deaths and failing safety strategies for cyclists. The Australian Automobile Association’s Benchmarking report records 1,222 road deaths in the year ending June 2018. And cyclist deaths in particular remain stubbornly high, even as average speeds, which affect road deaths, continue to decline. If cars are much safer than 25 years ago, […]

]]>Recent reporting paints a picture of surging road deaths and failing safety strategies for cyclists. The Australian Automobile Association’s Benchmarking report records 1,222 road deaths in the year ending June 2018. And cyclist deaths in particular remain stubbornly high, even as average speeds, which affect road deaths, continue to decline. If cars are much safer than 25 years ago, why are cyclist deaths increasing, from 25 the previous year to 45 this past year?

Of the untimely road deaths the AAA reports, 1,100 are due to how drivers were driving. In Australia, drivers are to blame for at least 79% of accidents with cyclists. And roughly 85% of reported cyclist casualty crashes involve another vehicle, not a bike or a pedestrian. Driver distraction accounts for roughly 25% of accidents.

These stats highlight a clear pattern of deadly harm: drivers hitting people, because of how they’re driving, is 90% of the problem on our roads.

What’s wrong with current safety strategies?

Calls are often made to install separation infrastructure and high-tech sensors in cars to fix the problem, as if the problem is cars and bikes mixing. These calls often follow the publication of reports or the deaths of cyclists in ways that make the news. Such claims are seldom met with critical scrutiny.

Although better infrastructure is needed and warranted, and high-tech sensors might reduce harm, people are still being needlessly killed. Mostly, that’s due to how people drive.

System-wide infrastructure and high-tech improvements are complex and take years or decades to complete. Installation has to be standardised and comprehensive to be truly effective. State-led infrastructure projects are often subject to budget blowouts. In crucial cases, the public has been left without the promised solution or service – regardless of whether it was publicly or privately led.

More deeply, calls for technical saviours are essentially wrongheaded because they disregard the root cause of the problems: driver behaviour – specifically, aggression and inattention. Separation of transport modes can’t fix aggression and inattention.

Indeed, separation contributes to irresponsibility by baking the assumption of danger and vulnerability into infrastructure. It works by diminishing the need for care and attention on the part of those responsible for the greatest harm: drivers.

This approach, we argue, reiterates a stigmatising, criminogenic understanding of bikes as inappropriate, unsafe and unwelcome on “our” roads. In this context, words are not weapons, but when they create aggressive drivers they do weaponise.

We need to focus on primary prevention

We’re clearly failing one another here. One way to begin responding better is by taking wisdom and insight from primary prevention approaches to male violence against women. This starts by acknowledging the root cause of systemic instances of deadly violence is banal, routine and excused and explained away because of its alignment with dominant cultural values.

The next step is to respond in ways that keep returning attention to the facts from best evidence. To repeat, whether you’re a driver, occupant, pedestrian or cyclist, roughly 90% of what causes death on Australia’s roads is driver behaviour.

For cyclists, the root cause of deadly harm is aggression and inattention. Drivers should be held to account and be pushed to change their behaviour and attitudes.

So what changes are needed?

Simple inexpensive changes in the law have been found to have dramatic effects on driver behaviour. These changes also work with existing infrastructure, technology, road conditions and our cultural expressions of human nature.

One change that’s in line with primary prevention and strong evidence of success is a move to a model of presumed liability for drivers. This would be a hard sell in light of current settings here, which support and excuse deadly violence by drivers because of the dominant motoring culture. But it’s proven to work in the Netherlands.

Another welcome measure is a recent initiative to reduce urban speed limits to 30km/h. This has just been implemented in one of Melbourne’s inner urban areas without too much fuss. According to the research behind it, you’re twice as likely to survive being hit at 30km/h as at 40km/h.

Time will tell, but evidence suggests this change will reduce harm and improve traffic flows. As with moving to presumed liability, it does so without expensive infrastructure and unproven gizmos, while following the wisdom of primary prevention by putting the onus on the root cause rather than the victim.

Finally, we urge that this issue be considered as one of universal access to safe transport infrastructure. It’s not about “cars versus bikes”; it’s about the simple right to get where you’re going safely and sensibly. This shouldn’t be a privilege that’s extended only to those with the resources and bodies capable of driving.

In light of this, it’s crucial we note that cars are deadly, that 90% of the problem is driver behaviour, and that the motor car fails on its promise of delivering safe, efficient urban transport.

]]>https://liveablecities.org.au/rising-cyclist-death-toll-is-mainly-due-to-drivers-so-change-the-road-laws-and-culture/feed/03575Sustainable House Day 2018https://liveablecities.org.au/sustainable-house-day-2018/
https://liveablecities.org.au/sustainable-house-day-2018/#respondMon, 10 Sep 2018 00:00:41 +0000https://liveablecities.org.au/?p=3565BASSENDEAN building designer Romona Sandon will be opening up her sustainable home for the first time for Sustainable House Day on September 16. The day is part of an Australia-wide event where about 250 houses across the country are opened to the public. Ms Sandon’s James Street house is one of three which will be […]

]]>BASSENDEAN building designer Romona Sandon will be opening up her sustainable home for the first time for Sustainable House Day on September 16.

The day is part of an Australia-wide event where about 250 houses across the country are opened to the public.

Ms Sandon’s James Street house is one of three which will be displayed on a bus tour organised by Environment House in Bayswater and guided by Alternative Technology Association WA committee member Kim Wilkinson.

The bus will leave Environment House at 9am and visit each house for 45 minutes, where the features, building materials, sustainability features and technologies will be discussed.

Coming from a sustainable architecture background, Ms Sandon built her “eco-home” in 2016.

Building designer Romona Sandon of Bassendean, in her sustainable home. Picture: David Baylis www.communitypix.com.au d486051

Her home features passive solar design principles including large north-facing windows and doors allowing in winter sunlight, insulated cavity bricks, cross-ventilation, solar-powered LED night lighting and low Volatile Organic Compounds paints and carpets.

She said her home also encouraged her family to transition to a low-waste way of living.

“Organic waste goes into our Bokashi bins and by reducing the purchase of single-use plastics and packaging, our landfill waste has significantly decreased,” she said.

“I also wanted to showcase that an ‘eco-home’ does not have to look a particular way or cost the earth.

“Most people that visit my home have no idea that it is a passive solar-designed home until they say how comfortable it is and ask where the heaters or airconditioners are – there are none.”

Her aim was to inspire people to live sustainably and show them how to lower energy bills and help the environment through good home design, practices and technology.